Baruch November: Beard 18

The Zohar tells us a beard embodies the 13 

attributes of mercy

and compassion, yet sometimes I care 

only about myself. 

I love the snow in its falling, though, I don’t think about 

all the lives 

wildly skidding upon it, slamming out 

into other lives 

in that moment of breakneck motion, ending up 

tangled in the oak trees 

and bleeding out over ditches. 

And on those cold days, 

I want to walk out of this thoughtless person and be 

someone else.

Yet having mercy means sharing it 

even with ourselves,

so I can watch the hard falling snow without thought 

of punishing myself inside a beard 

doused with honey, 

darkened with bees.

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Copyright 2019 Baruch November. From Bar Mitzvah Dreams published by Main Street Rag.